Tom's Workbench » Experiences

Good to see the crew

Tom — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:06:10 +0000

This past Saturday, I followed through on my promise and went to the Woodworking Show in Tampa. As always, what a great experience. There were vendors, woodworkers and some good friends I haven’t seen for an entire year.

Here are some shots from the show…

There were folks from the Tampa and St. Petersburg woodcrafters' guilds

Exhibitors such as Carter Bandsaw Accessories were doing some great classes

Tommy Mac of Rough Cut was there doing some scraper demonstrations

That clown Jim Heavey doing his song and dance

: Sam Hamory of Earlex sprayers was teaching me a thing or two about shooting a finish

The absolute best title for a class all day...

My favorite shot of the day

Now, why would this be my favorite shot of the day? Simple… this guy is Eric Rusch. He’s has been a long time reader of this blog, and his past weekend, we finally had the opportunity to meet face to face. What a great guy… We talked for a while about our woodworking hobbies and we took a few shots. I’m hoping we have an opportunity to meet up again sometime soon!

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Doing the poll dance

Tom — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:13:07 +0000

I have an online woodworking friend, Chris Wong of Flair Woodworks. He asked me recently about something that I’ve been doing on my blog since almost the beginning – the quick poll.

Now, if you have been following along, a typical week for me starts on Sunday with the quick poll, followed by a pair of articles and the link of the week. I put the quick poll up because it gives each of you the chance to weigh in and participate in what goes on with the blog. That’s am important thing for me… if you are involved, you’ll stick around!

But, now that you have voted, what exactly am I doing with the information? Selling it to some secret woodworking cabal for nefarious purposes? Nah… I’m doing it so we can learn about each other.

For instance, how many readers cut their dovetails by hand? With all of those awesome dovetail jigs, surely it has to be a small fringe that hangs on to their old ways. Uhh, you’d be wrong. Of the 237 votes we got, 116 – nearly half – cut ‘em by hand. Unreal. The next highest total was those who don’t cut dovetails… unbelievable..

I can remember a discussion I had with another woodworker who was adamant that the piece of wood that joins two mortises should NEVER be called a loose tenon.. but, that’s what 188 of 320 voters call it. So much for that…

And, another surprising finding was that 328 of 394 voters either kept their users’ manuals handy or stashed someplace convenient for their power tools. I thought for sure that those babies would have been long gone by the time they were working well.

Some questions were funny. Others were dead serious. Hopefully, all of them will make you think about what you are doing in your shop, and how others tackle the challenges you face.

If you would like to check out some of the results, simply follow the link to the quick poll link under the categories setting on my site. You might just be surprised with what you will find.

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The FIRST Modern Woodworkers Association Florida meet-up!

Tom — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:18:57 +0000

I love when the Woodworking Shows come to Tampa. It’s a great opportunity to see my friend and fellow Wood Magazine contributor Jim Heavey (and, Jim, yes, you are welcome back to the house for more Jambalaya, if you are up for it!), sit in on some awesome classes and get hands-on time with some great tools.

This year, there is going to be something else to look forward to – the first ever Florida meet-up for the Modern Woodworkers Association. With online woodworking now a huge deal, the MWA is a place for us all to hang out virtually… but, it’s always good to get folks together in person to talk, shake hands and swap some tall shop tales.

This year, the Woodworking Show at the Tampa Fairgrounds is held the weekend of March 16 – 18. I plan on being there on Saturday, March 17. Since that Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day, I’m sure most of you would like to get your Irish on at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, so we’ll make the meet up from about 10 – 3. I won’t be sporting any green, but I will be wearing my Modern Woodworkers Association t-shirt I got last October, so I should be easy to find. I will look a lot like the guy in this photo:

While we won’t have a formal ‘agenda’ for this meeting, it should give us a good opportunity to get together. Since the St. Petersburg Woodcrafters’ Guild will have a table at the show, this might not be a bad meeting spot around noon…

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone next month!

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Get Woodworking Week: Saturday

Tom — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:23:30 +0000

Well, here we are. The last day of Get Woodworking Week, and I have got to tell you, I have been thoroughly impressed by the outpouring of support from the online woodworking community. The blog posts I have linked to have been funny, thought provoking and inspirational. As I have told several of the posters… if it wasn’t for these awesome posts and active participation, Get Woodworking Week wouldn’t be worth a bucket of warm spit.

As this week draws to a close, we are left with one nagging question: Where to now?

During Wednesday’s Woodchat, a few folks asked me how I was going to be able to tell if the week was a success. Number of hits? Some magic analytic that would show people who got off their butts and into the shop? The number of new blogs from beginning woodworkers?

My response to them was simple. Hopefully, Get Woodworking Week 2012 was enough to kindle a fire. To get folks revved up about their woodworking. Now, the next step is up to each of you. Take the enthusiasm we’ve built these past seven days, and help to spread it where you live.

Go volunteer to talk to kids in a classroom.
Maybe offer to talk to folks at a local library about woodworking (Libraries are always looking to put on programs to attract folks).
Why not offer to help a scout troop with some woodworking projects (the Pinewood Derby season is right around the corner…)?
Donate some old woodworking books and magazines to your local library or activity center for new eyes to feast upon.
Invite your spouse, neighbor, child, friend, co-worker, tennis partner, etc. to come to your shop to show them what you do.
Join a guild or club. You don’t have one in your community? Well, why not start one?
Build something special for someone just because…

The point is that my little blog is just one miniscule slice of this giant woodworking pie. It’s going to take a lot of effort from talented, enthusiastic woodworkers to get more folks involved in what we do. But, believe me, when those folks see how excited you are about the craft, your energy and excitement will show through.

Who knows? One day, you may have found that you have personally inspired the next Sam Maloof, James Krenov or Marc Spagnuolo.

Just how cool would that be?

By the way, mark your calendars… I’m thinking February 3 – 9 sounds like a good time for Get Woodworking Week 2013…

Oh, and here’s a totally kick butt video from Scott Morton to celebrate Get Woodworking Week…. It’s a must watch. Two thumbs up!

The blog posts are STILL coming in! Here’s the latest of the bunch…

The Joiner’s Apprentice: Simple Dovetail Box
Woodworking for Mere Mortals: Shop Cabinet
Scott Morton: Teaching the kids
The Garage Woodshop: Blunt Instruments
Giant Cypress: One last item for Get Woodworking Week
WV Woodshed: Get Woodworking Week
The Corner Workshop: Take the plunge

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Get Woodworking Week: Thursday

Tom — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:15:25 +0000

We’re past the halfway point of Get Woodworking Week now, and the interest is running wild. The posts on other blogs have been top notch, and I’ve been happy to be a small part of this new endeavor.

Now, what do you think one of the biggest reasons people give for not trying woodworking? The cost? That they never tried it? Or… could it be the fear of making mistakes?

Believe me, when it comes to making mistakes, I’m the poster child. If there is a mistake I have not yet made in a woodworking project, stay tuned. I’m bound to do it at least once during my time writing the blog. If you want to see one of my worst foul ups, check this out:

What the He%# am I doing?

Remember, though, it’s not important that you have failed… what’s most important is how you recover from your mistakes. A child will fall down dozens of times learning to walk… but, we celebrate when she succeeds at taking her first steps.

From D’Oh to Woah…

While you think about not letting your fear of mistakes hold you back, check out some of these awesome articles that have been submitted for Get Woodworking Week:

The Joiner’s Apprentice: Preparing rough stock for a project
The Penultimate Workshop: Peter Get Woodworking
Matt’s Basement Workshop: Get Woodworking Week 2012
The Digital Woodworker: Building a Japanese workbench

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Get Woodworking Week: Tuesday

Tom — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:32:08 +0000

OK, everyone, it’s day THREE of Get Woodworking Week, and the posts keep coming in! I think we’re starting to generate a little bit of excitement out there. Now, remember, Get Woodworking Week works when we spread the word, so take some time this week to talk to others about the craft. Not sure what to say? Either was I when I spoke in front of my sons’ classes the past few years. Here are the videos of those events:

This was from my 2011 trip to the schools

And, this was from 2010.

Here are some of the blog posts that came in yesterday. I hope you enjoy reading them!

Digital Woodworker: Getting started in woodworking – Tools with a Japanese flair
Stu’s Shed: Colour my (shed) world
Woodshop Demos: Analysis paralysis
The School of Wood: There’s a hole in the bucket! Getting started woodworking with hand tools.
The Wood Whisperer: How to install a drawer knob
The Woodwork Guy: The one-weekend bookcase
A Slice of Wood Workshop: What to Build?

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Get to the guild!

Tom — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:19:20 +0000

Now that we are in Get Woodworking Week, I guess the first question many new woodworkers may have is, “Where could I begin?” Sure, there are plenty of websites to check out. Your library has tons of books. You can always go out to a local home improvement center or – if your town has one – a specialty woodworking store for more information.

But, there’s nothing like getting some face time with other woodworkers. Someplace where you can find a few other experienced woodworkers and ask them how they got started, where they can get wood for cheap or which tools are the best for the beginning woodworker.

When it comes to finding those folks, there’s just one bit of advice – get thee to a guild. Or a club.. there’s nothing wrong with those either.

In most civilized areas of the world, you will find folks with similar interests who have banded together to share the experience with others. Mom’s clubs. Biking clubs. Tennis clubs. Golf clubs – YES, pun intended! Just try asking around at your local library, hardwood store, woodworking store or community center. You’d be surprised how many woodworking clubs or guilds there are.

For instance, I was recently invited to attend a meeting of the St. Petersburg Woodcrafters’ Guild. For several years now, the folks at SPWG have been reading and commenting on my blog posts, and I was asked if perhaps it might be time to meet up. Not sure what to expect, I loaded my contemplation bench into the car, brought some business cards and headed on down to a local Lutheran church for the meeting.

When I got there, I was totally impressed. There must have been about 60 woodworkers gathered in the meeting hall. The age of the attendees was a very good mix – some as young as their mid-20′s through veterans who had a few years under their belts. There was excitement in the air – the excitement of friends who were meeting again to brag about some of their successes and ask lots of questions about how to do certain tasks.

President Joe Pettit called the meeting to order, and there was some business to attend to. The SPWG is a registered non-profit organization that has by-laws, and – as with any other similar body, there were financial reports, membership reports, updates on previous activities and future business that had to be conducted. The discussion then turned to introduction of guests and – my favorite part – show and tell. Since this was the first meeting of the year, holiday projects for children and grandchildren many states away were shown proudly. Questions about building and finishing techniques were asked, and each member showing his or her experiences.

Within maybe 20 minutes, all of the business had been handled, and there was going to be a rather longish break. I was wishing the meeting would keep going on, but it was then that I discovered the real purpose of the guild meetings. Everyone got out of their chairs and started talking with other members about tools, wood and their shops. I could overhear several members asking others about the challenges they were facing, and getting several good suggestions on how to overcome them. I spoke at length with several woodworkers about their woodworking. Some were turners. Others worked extensively with veneer. Still more were scrollers. Marquetry. Band saw experts. Cabinetmakers. Chair builders. If there was a specialty, someone covered it.

The last part of the meeting was a discussion about the work the guild was doing at the Folk Festival, and old hand tools in general. We had a chance to go hands on with a beetle and froe, spokeshave and hosts of old hand planes that had been lovingly restored.

By the time the meeting broke up, I was energized – ready to get out to the shop and try some new techniques.

So, if you are interested in getting into woodworking, ask around and find a local club or guild. You’d be surprised how much that can help you on your path to woodworking success.

Oh, and here are some articles about Get Woodworking Week you may want to check out:

Short Bus Woodworking: Get Woodworking Week – Pocket Holes?
Tumblewood: Get Woodworking Week is here. Get to it!
Woodworking in Paris: La semaine Get Woodworking du 5 au 12 fevrier… (en Francais)
Close Grain: Jim Kingshott’s DVDs and Books
Ravinheart Renditions: Get Woodworking Week 2012
Uppercut Woodworks: Video Post #10: Get Woodworking Week with Red Toolbox Kits

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Try something new

Tom — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:18:18 +0000

The weather was gorgeous this past weekend – even better than normal. I was shaking off the remnants of a cold and needed to get out of the house for a while to stretch my legs. What could we do? A trip to the beach? Ehhh, we’ve done that before. How about a romp in the park? Fun, but we’d only be there for a little bit of time.

How about doing something we’ve never done as a family, and go to the Heritage Village Folk Festival? Now we’re talking!

I’ve worked for the Pinellas County government for 18 years now, and Heritage Village is owned and operated by the government. They’ve held the Folk Festival for years, but for some reason, the idea of folk music didn’t do it for me. They also have traditional crafting demonstrations, but there’s only so much work on the loom you can stand. And, when you’ve seen a few meticulously-restored Model A Fords, well, they start to blend together. The kids really dig that they had kettle corn, so, that was a draw…

But, that was it. I had never gone to the event… Even though I live about a five minute bike ride away…

This year was different. I had been in touch with the folks at the St. Petersburg Woodcrafter’s Guild (more is coming on them… believe me!) about possibly participating in the event, and I heard they worked out a deal to be there to show the craft. SCHWEET!

So, we walked around, taking in the beaming sunshine, fresh air and twanging sounds of folk music. We stopped in a few historical homes to take a peek, and when we got to the Harris School, the banner for the guild was hanging proudly. Ahhh, here we were!

We went into the one-room schoolhouse, which normally has period desks lined up in rows. Instead, the desks were removed and the building was converted into one sweet hand tool shop for a day.

Members of the guild were there showing off several period tools – a spring pole lathe, a shaving horse, smoothing planes… the works. Each of the stations had a few guild members helping visitors get a handle on what was going on in the shop.

My son Steven got a chance to handle a sweet smoothing plane. I think he’s a little short to get the maximum effect.

Dominic was the man behind the spring pole lathe, getting some good direction on how to use the turning tools. The boy is a natural!

And, me? Well, giddayup! I was working the shaving horse… for the first time ever. That oak never stood a chance!

During the 20 minutes at the Harris School, I learned a few things:

This was the first time the St. Petersburg Woodcrafters’ Guild ever came to an event at Heritage Village. Judging from the pile of sawdust, shavings and other wood scraps on the floor, I’d say they had been very busy – and we all know, a busy shop is a popular shop!

Secondly, the folks at the guild are knowledgeable about what they are doing, and they can communicate that clearly to visitors… Perhaps we can see some new woodworkers after this weekend?

And, finally, trying new stuff in woodworking? It totally kicks butt. That was a blast to get on the shaving horse, and I can see why people like that so much. Heck, I may have to build my own…

After our trip to the Harris School, we walked around the grounds for a while, and yes, we bought the boys their kettle corn. As we were heading out, we passed by the Harris School again. Amazingly, there was a line of people waiting to get into the building. As I walked past, I smiled. Woodworking was definitely alive and well in Heritage Village that afternoon.

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Less than a month away…

Tom — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:22:10 +0000

Can you believe it? Get Woodworking week is now less than one month away! I’m so excited, I can hardly contain myself…

Well, maybe I need to learn how to contain myself just a little bit. Anyway, I wanted to get you into the mood by listing a few resources you might want to check out for woodworkers just starting out. At these sites, you will find all sorts of advice, plans, tool reviews and technique articles to get you motivated to get into the shop and try your hand at woodworking.

Wood Magazine’s Basic Built Series: This is is Wood Magazine’s initiative to provide simple, yet high-quality woodworking projects that can be completed with a minimum number of tools and skills. This site covers a wide array of topics – from how to find furniture worthy wood to where to find the best deals on tools. The inexpensive projects offered run the gamut from shop fixtures to tables, seating and casework.

Popular Woodworking’s I Can Do That: In every issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, the “I Can Do That” column features projects that can be completed by any woodworker with a modest (but decent) kit of tools in less than two days of shop time, and using raw materials that are available at any home center. Be sure to download their .PDF manual first before you get a start on things.

New To Woodworking: Marc Spagnuolo, the Wood Whisperer, understands that it’s OK to be a Noob. That’s why he put together this impressive site for the up and coming woodworker. He’s sorted through his site and found the best articles on shop set up, technique and projects with build-along videos.

NewWoodworker.com: Tom Hintz is no longer a new woodworker, but, believe me, his site will help steer any new woodworker in the right direction. Before you buy a new tool or select a spot for your shop, be sure to pay this site a visit and soak in the knowledge.

Now, this is by no means a complete list of sites. In fact, if you are aware of any others, be sure to list them in the comments below this article. This way, I can add them to this list to build a resource of sites geared toward the new woodworker.

Also, be sure to check the blogs listed to the right of this post. Each of those are the sites of bloggers I have been in touch with – either in person or online – who do some outstanding work. I have asked for their help for the week, and most of them have said they are game. As they post articles on their sites, I will also link to them on a dedicated get woodworking page on my site.

The best part about Get Woodworking Week is that we’re going to make an active effort to get folks off the sideline and help them find the sawdust in their veins. We’ll all be better off with new folks who get out there and show us what they’ve got.

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Well, that was awkward…

Tom — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:06:04 +0000

For those of you who signed on very early this morning, you saw the link of the week taking you to a different site. Something about a dovetail jig review site. In my zeal to provide you information about dovetail jigs, I grabbed that one and posted it today.

Boy, was I shamefaced when Stuart of Toolguyd.com wrote me a note pointing out something I should have seen all along… the site is – how shall I put this – less that reputable.

Basically, what the site’s author had done was to copy and paste a great deal of background information about dovetail joints from Wikipedia to the site, with a number of links his Amazon affiliate site. He also copied and pasted many of the user reviews from Amazon and listed them. Of course, the big drive was to have unsuspecting woodworkers (like me) Google, check out the info and then click through to buy the jig, netting the site owner cash. Marc Spagnuolo of the Wood Whisperer’s site pointed out that these types of sites are commonly known as ‘link farms’, and with the amount of content he puts out, he has to watch the web carefully to ensure his material isn’t being used for this purpose.

It’s a very deceptive way for someone to set up a site, making money on the work of others without their knowledge or permission.

How can you tell if you are on one of these sites? Both Stuart and Marc told me to check the site’s content against the Wikipedia entry – if it is lifted word for word, you know someone’s not doing their homework.

Also, look for an excessive number of affiliate links all over the page. On the page for one dovetail jig alone, there were eight links back to Amazon to that one product. On ONE page.

Was this the only site out there doing this? Nope. There are many sites out there misappropriating online content for their shady dealings. I addressed similar sites in my Monkey Business article at Wood Magazine, and Steve Ramsey did an awesome video about fighting online piracy at his Woodworking for Mere Mortals site.

The current link of the week takes you to the About.com site on dovetail basics – an awesome read.

As for me, I want to apologize for posting that first link today. This isn’t the first time I’ve made an ass of myself on my blog, but I’m hoping it will be the last.

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